Staff Writer
The winner of the “Cointreau Margarita Challenge” is “The Lovely Rita” by Mixologist Jonathan Stanyard from the United States. The international competition received over 500 entries from 47 countries. Cointreau had invited the world’s most talented bartenders to create their own take on the iconic Margarita. The contestants were encouraged to use the best ingredients from their local area as inspiration, to turn “The Original” into “Their Original” and be hailed as the Margarita King or Queen.
This cocktail is inspired by local ingredients, a song from the past, and flavors of other countries. I built on top of the classic recipe with local flavors of the Pacific Northwest: rhubarb, strawberries, and rosemary.
Jonathan Stanyard
The Lovely Rita Recipe
¾ oz / 25ml Cointreau L’Unique
1½ oz / 45ml Roca Patron Silver
¾ oz / 25ml Lime Oleo Citrate
½ oz / 15ml Salted Vanilla Rhubarb Shrub
¼ oz / 10ml Strawberry infused Campari
Meet the Finalist
- Grace Rawlins from Australia
- Alana Jody Durow from South Africa
- Vasilis Sgouromallis from Greece
- Pei-Ting Lin from Taiwan
- Damiano Di Benedetto from Italy
- Jonathan Stanyard from the United States
- Cesar Debus from France
- Domiziana Pola from the United Kingdom
- José Alejandro Chirinos Gil from Colombia
- José Antonio Dominguez from the United Arab Emirates
About Cointreau
Iconic orange liqueur creator and cocktail pioneer, Maison Cointreau was founded in 1849 in Angers, France. The brand’s heritage as a liquorist-distiller lives on today at the heart of more than 500 cocktails, including the original Margarita and Cosmopolitan. Cointreau liqueur’s distinctive character is the result of the meticulous selection, harmony, and distillation of sweet and bitter orange peel essences, a task entrusted to Maison Cointreau’s Master Distiller. Unique and boasting exceptional organoleptic qualities, it’s a staple for bartenders and at-home cocktail enthusiasts around the world.
